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Forget Harry Potter: Kiki's Delivery Service will be the next big kids fantasy TV show
If you want a coming-of-age magical story without all the political baggage from its creator, Kiki's Delivery Service could be perfect for you.
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A lot of attention gets paid to Harry Potter among fans of coming-of-age children’s fiction set in a magical world, but there is a better option out there if you don't want to have to deal with a certain creator's frustrating politics. Before it was one of the most beloved Studio Ghibli movies, Kiki’s Delivery Service was an award-winning children’s book in Japan. Now the BBC wants to capitalize on that as they have agreed to develop a live-action Kiki’s Delivery Service series.
This is not the first time someone has adapted Eiko Kadano’s iconic Japanese children’s novel. In addition to the aforementioned Studio Ghibli movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki, there is also a live-action Japanese movie based on the book. The upcoming series, which is being developed by BBC Studios Kids & Family along with UK production company Wheels in Motion and Japanese publisher Kadokawa, will be the first attempt at a live-action TV series based on the book.
That distinction feels important here; the upcoming live-action Kiki’s Delivery Service series is based exclusively on the original novel instead of the Ghibli movie. The series will consist of 10 half-hour episodes, which makes sense when you look at the structure of the Kadano novel. It was 11 chapters long, each one consisting of a short adventure that the titular Kiki had while running her delivery service. It deals heavily with her own insecurities and fears and how she overcomes them to discover her own identity. Roughly half an hour for each of these adventures is probably just right.
No release date for the live-action Kiki’s Delivery Service has been revealed. The original book was first published in 1985 and has sold millions of copies worldwide since it was released.
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